A Redside Revival

        Nestled high above the Deschutes River reposes the central Oregon town of Maupin.  If, in the summertime, a traveller were to pass by en-route to the hinterlands, he would likely say that this is a bustling, vibrant community; with busloads of rafters, and van-fuls of fisher-folk, bursting at the seams to dip their vessels or lines into the waters below.
         While trekking on a well-trodden path, the city's watering holes, hostelries, and outfitters doubtlessly thank recreation-seekers of all stripes.  The anglers among them who hook a "Redside", know it as a specie of rainbow trout, and a prized catch, as well as the most unique nickname in all of Oregon high school athletics.
              The rafters are after something else the river has to offer: rapids like "Box Car" and "Oak Springs".  Innumerable family albums have been graced with been-there-done-that photos of those who've navigated those falls.  Like swallows returning to Capistrano, many make the pilgrimage each year to relive the thrill of the ride.

             But alas, Maupin only really bustles from the merry month of May to Labor Day.  Following the first Monday of September, the local merchants hunker down for the next seven months, awaiting the next harbinger of summer.
              It wasn't always that way.  Once upon a time, like so many of its comparably-sized brethren, Maupin was a thriving mill town, which employed hundreds of workers, and sustained a hefty local economy.  However, once the mills shut down, score after score of the gentry in these communities moved elsewhere.  What remains in their wake hardly amounts to more than sleepy, wide spots on roads less traveled; leaving places like Paisley, Mitchell, even Fossil (Wheeler's county seat), struggling to keep its school doors open.

           While being economically hard-hit, what might have spared Maupin that ultimate fate is the river; originally coined during fur-trading times as Riviere des Chutes, or "River of the Falls".  This swirling, sinewey stream continues to provide a population of 420 what's needed to survive each long, wintry dry-spell.
            South Wasco County high's enrollment is a reflection of the local economy's down-turn.  It has taken a precipitous drop in enrollment, from well up in the hundreds to sixty-three, and holding.....  You will not find a Bijou movie theatre on the three-block drive down the main street of town.  High school athletics, read that: The South Wasco County Redsides, are the only bona-fide show. When teams aren't playing on a Friday or Saturday night at home, downtown Maupin goes dark in a really big hurry.  If it could be said that the heart and soul of a town is its schools, that would be no more true anywhere else than here in this high-desert refuge overlooking the Deschutes.

              The mayor of Maupin has an idea or two for future economic development, and the Redside athletic director is looking forward to some hefty help up front in the few years ahead.  If only the city and the team's followers can find the patience to abide!  Being a school of less than 100 students, S.W.C. participates in the eight-man Big Sky football league.  Sadly, three years ago, there weren't even enough players to field a team.  The football field's blocking sled and scoreboard clock stood dormant for an entire season; the first time ever for that kind of tragedy.
                The resurrected team has not compiled a record which instills fear in the hearts of its adversaries.  The total number of victories over the past two years is two (2), and both of those came against the same opponent.  Thank heaven for Portland Lutheran!  The rest of the games have resulted in teeth-gnashing, wall-bashing losses of 20-30-40 points.
                However, as we've been assured by the observations of Mayor Ross, and A.D.- Coach Hull, help is on the way.  We look forward to the time when the town enjoys a rennaisance, and....when once again the call to "Fear the Fish" will be the rallying cry of the Redside faithful.